Susan Wylie [Wyley] was the daughter of James Wylie. She married Nathaniel Day probably in Pennsylvania circa 1737. Susan and Nathaniel had five children. Several of the children were born while residing in Plumstead Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

History books and researchers have repeatedly stated that Susan’s husband died in 1754. They go on to state that Susan and her children then migrated to Virginia with her father. However there is a pay statement showing her husband, Nathaniel alive in 1757. Nathaniel Day received pay for service in the Company of William Preston in November 1757 along with Susan’s son John Day. Thus the family migrated to Virginia together.

Various accounts have been repeated about the tragedy that unfolded from Indian attacks. At least one version states that Susan’s husband was scalped but survived. The events of the Indian attack of the Day family in 1756 were given in great detail by her son John who never mentions his father.

Indians attacked the farm some say while the family was working in the fields. The youngest child David was killed instantly. Susan, Martha and Sally [Sarah] were taken prisoners by the Indians and marched over the mountains in the Cacapon River area of Frederick County. Martha said that her mother remarked to her friends that she believed the Indians intended to kill her and when asked why she thought that she said that they had given moccasins to all the prisoners but her and left her bare foot. The History of Pocohontas County states "When all were ready to move on a warrior walked up to Mrs. Day and with his war club struck her a stunning blow between her shoulders, knocking the breath out of her, and then in an instant lifted her scalp-lock. She was left there in a state of insensibility and it was never known whether she recovered consciousness or died immediately."

A party of twenty had set out immediately to try and retrieve the prisoners. Years later when Susan’s son, John applied for a military pension he gave the following account:

"The Shawnee Indians had come into Botetourt County in the said State of Virginia and killed my brother David Day and taken my mother and two sisters, Sally Day and Martha Day, prisoners, and also took some other property and made for their towns, the first night the Indians camped on a mountain, between Cape Capon River and Cedar Creek and at that camp killed my Mother, Susan Day, ( formerly Susan Wyley daughter of James Wyley as I understood.) And Captain Fry raised twenty men of which I was one. We followed said Indians, and when we came to the Indian camp aforesaid, there lay my mother dead, and striped naked, her head skined: and we lifted her and laid her between some rocks and laid some rocks over her: and we followed on after the Indians, and the second day came in sight of them at their camp, and I raised my gun to shoot one of them, and just as I was about to draw trigger, I saw one of my sisters rise up right before the muzzle of my gun between me and the Indian: and I was so alarmed at seeing my sister rise before my gun that I involuntarily hollered, which so alarmed the Indians that they broke and ran, leaving the prisoners, and what they had at the camp, and run with all their might: and we got the prisoners, and what property the Indians left at the camp, and brought all safe to the fort."